Maguire willing to reduce his weekly wage by £80,000 to extend contract, while Sir Jim Ratcliffe aims to cut Manchester United’s wage bill! There are disagreements among the club’s top management regarding the renewal.

Manchester United fans following the club’s updates on social media may have noticed conflicting reports this week about Maguire’s contract extension. Some say he agreed to renew with an £80,000 weekly salary, while others claim the club is unlikely to re-sign the veteran because Sir Jim Ratcliffe wants to reduce wage expenses and complete a squad overhaul. Ironically, all these reports trace back to the same source!

The contradiction arises from social media’s tendency to take things out of context and misunderstandings. The reality is a combination of both: Sir Jim Ratcliffe does want to cut the wage bill, but if Maguire agrees to an £80,000 weekly salary, he could be an exception and stay. However, talks are still preliminary, and a final decision on renewal is far from reached.

The “I Paper” reported that there are indeed differing opinions within Manchester United’s management about Maguire’s future; he is one of four stars who might leave this summer. Yet, Maguire holds significant influence in the dressing room and is respected by younger teammates at the Carrington training ground. After working hard to reclaim his starting spot, he has recently been a key player under new coach Carrick. Some executives believe that in a United locker room lacking leaders, Maguire’s value on and off the pitch could be crucial.

Maguire will turn 33 next month, and his contract expires this summer without a one-year extension option. The £80 million defender currently earns about £190,000 per week. Sir Jim Ratcliffe is keen to reduce wage spending, especially by offloading highly paid veterans. Even Casemiro, who has been vital this season, has been announced to leave after this campaign due to his £350,000 weekly wage.

However, according to the report, if Maguire is willing to accept a significant pay cut of around £80,000 per week and agrees to the club’s other new contract terms, he could still remain at the club. The English media phrased it as: if the England international is willing to take a substantial pay cut of about £80,000 a week, but social media overlooked the hypothetical “if” and misunderstood the £80,000 weekly reduction as a cut down to £80,000.

In fact, as earlier English media revealed, Manchester United plans to offer Maguire a basic salary roughly between £110,000 and £120,000 per week, with a one-year contract. It must be emphasized that United has not yet formally made a new contract offer to Maguire. Other Premier League clubs and several across Europe, mainly from Serie A, have shown interest to Maguire’s agent.

Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano stated: “There hasn’t been much progress in Maguire’s renewal talks so far. The club has had some initial communication with his agent, but nothing concrete yet. Several Serie A clubs have enquired about Maguire, but Manchester United have rejected all approaches.”

Compared to Maguire, Manchester United’s midfielder Fred’s future this summer looks bleak. Whenever the Uruguayan midfielder, who cost €60 million, plays, the team tends to fall into disarray. This was evident when he came on as a substitute against Fulham on Sunday. When Fred replaced Casemiro, the team’s defense became extremely vulnerable.

Due to Fred’s poor form, it is reported that Manchester United intends to sell him in the summer. Three Turkish clubs, including Galatasaray, have expressed interest. It is expected that if United can recoup even half of the original fee they paid Paris Saint-Germain for him, it will be considered a major success.

The other two players certain to leave are Rashford and Sancho, both currently out on loan. Manchester United hopes Barcelona will pay €30 million to sign Rashford permanently, while Sancho will definitely not stay at Aston Villa. The club plans to terminate his contract directly, waiving the one-year extension option to allow him a free transfer. Just their departures alone would save over £500,000 per week in wages.